


Just take my hand, and let’s enjoy

by jercydee



Series: Kuruko no Chapbook [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: 5+1 Things, Affection, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hugs, M/M, Male Friendship, but like 7+1 LOL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 15:26:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16767841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jercydee/pseuds/jercydee
Summary: Seven hugs that are received, and one hug that is given. Insight to male affection and some very soft boys.All pairings tagged as gen but quite frankly this can also be read as slash.





	Just take my hand, and let’s enjoy

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from dark cat’s song, BUBBLE TEA. Thank you to stream team for the editing and encouragement—y’all the best! ♥♥♥

I have learned that there is more power in a good, strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words.  
—Ann Hood

.

Hugging Kise-kun was always a gamble.

He was extremely affectionate: he wasn’t afraid to throw an arm around Tetsuya’s shoulders or toss a hand up for a high five. He was easily the best smelling, best-dressed person Tetsuya ever hugged. Whenever Kise-kun pulled him into an embrace, Tetsuya was suddenly bombarded by the strong aroma of an extensive hair and skincare routine, as well as whatever line of fragrance lingered from Kise’s last photoshoot. It was quite pleasant on that front.

However, Kise had a tendency to accidentally hurt him when he enthusiastically wrapped himself around Tetsuya, similar to a golden retriever knocking its owner off-balance when they came home for the day. Tetsuya wasn’t afraid to tell Kise-kun to stop once things became too much for him. It was bothersome for anyone in the vicinity when things didn’t go his way because Kise tended pout and whine. Loudly.

It was often annoying to deal with, but Tetsuya appreciated it nonetheless. He didn’t realize how much he’d miss it until they parted.

. .

Midorima-kun’s hugs depended on his mood. If he was forced to do it, it was uncomfortable for everyone involved. His breathing was shallow and his lips flattened to a pained line. The one arm he wrapped around Tetsuya gave a single pat on his back. When Tetsuya leaned his cheek against Midorima’s chest, Midorima became stiffer than a board. This was obviously the last thing he wanted to do, but Tetsuya held tight.

When he was a little more open towards physical contact, Midorima’s hugs were still awkward, but far less tense. His breathing was more relaxed, inviting Tetsuya to listen to the steady beat of his heart. The hand patting his back was also much more natural, and Tetsuya revelled in the motion.

The simple act was often complicated because Midorima-kun refused to let go of his lucky item unless he absolutely had to, but Tetsuya was undeterred, happy to accept these one-armed hugs.

. . .

For someone smaller than him, Tetsuya was always taken aback by the ferocity of Momoi’s crushing embrace. She liked to press chest to chest, squeeze him so tightly that his already poor lung capacity was pushed to its limit. Her thin arms were surprisingly strong, and she pulverized him easily when she tackled him. Tetsuya sported bruises after Momoi was finished with him, sometimes from the strength of her grip or because they both fell over when she finally latched onto him.

Tetsuya liked the challenge, even though he’d rather that Momoi-san let go of her crush on him. He cared for her, of course—he was quick to offer words of comfort or a pat on the head when she needed it—but his feelings remained platonic despite Momoi’s efforts to the contrary.

He loved that it didn’t deter her from showering him with affection, even after they separated.

. . . .

Aomine-kun gave the best hugs. They were full-on bear hugs. Especially because of how broad he was, he physically curled himself around Tetsuya, and he’d be enveloped by Aomine’s warmth. His shoulders were sturdy pillars that anchored them, his arms cocooned Tetsuya wholly. The embrace was often accompanied by the rumble of Aomine’s laughter and a hand ruffling his hair.

Tetsuya mourned when the frequency of his hugs slowly dwindled and changed. With every practice Aomine-kun missed, his hugs waned like his passion for basketball. First they became shorter, then they began to lack any feeling. Eventually, Tetsuya longed for the days Aomine’s arm was a near permanent fixture around his shoulder rather than leaving him without so much as a fistbump to greet his outstretched hand.

The next time Tetsuya hugged Aomine, it wasn’t quite the same. They’d both changed, after all, but at its core Tetsuya could feel the Aomine-kun who had become his partner. Aomine stiffened against Tetsuya at first, but when he finally relaxed the tenderness of his arms was familiar.

. . . . .

Since Tetsuya barely came up to his chest, hugging Murasakibara-kun was like hugging a tree. Murasakibara was indomitable and his hugs were no different. There was strength in his lanky build, solidity in his light embrace (because as much as he claimed he would crush others, Murasakibara’s hugs were gentle).

Hugging him was also like cuddling a snack cabinet. When they parted, Tetsuya always ended up with crumbs on his shirt. Murasakibara-kun smelt like the most inviting pantry, and Tetsuya loved to breathe deep when he pressed his face into Murasakibara’s shirt. Sometimes Tetsuya guessed what he ate last, and the crumbs that transferred onto his person confirmed his suspicions.

The last time they hugged, it was a cookie.

. . . . . .

Akashi-kun’s hugs were much like him: they came in a dichotomy.

The Other Akashi didn’t hug. Tetsuya had never even seen that version of him return a handshake, much less accept an embrace. If Tetsuya had to guess, he’d wager that the Other Akashi gave hugs that were calculative, perfunctory, perhaps a hug by definition but absolutely devoid of any kindness.

The True Akashi was different. The True Akashi was warm. Tetsuya was the perfect height to bury his nose into Akashi’s shoulder, cheek nuzzled against his neck. Hands on Tetsuya's back, rubbing it softly, and a sigh against his cheek that made his lips twitch upwards. The hugs from _this_ Akashi were sincere and kind, but always cut too short. He wasn’t one for physicality, but Tetsuya felt like Akashi-kun desperately wanted to be held onto longer.

He never did. Tetsuya hoped that would change one day.

. . . . . . .

Kagami-kun was not like hugging any of the Miracles, but also like hugging a piece of each of them all at once.

Kagami was strong and firm, passionate and enveloping. His chest was broad and perfect for Tetsuya to press his cheek against, his shoulders comforting supports to lean on. Tetsuya had never felt stronger magnetism—the way a shadow needed a light—until he met Kagami-kun. He’d never felt the need to stay in someone’s hold until Kagami crowded close and pulled him in.

His hugs weren’t as full and encompassing as Aomine-kun’s, but they were just as warm and kind. They weren’t as gentle yet quietly powerful like Murasakibara-kun’s either, but there was a steadiness to them that anchored Tetsuya. Though Kagami had the strength to easily suffocate him like Momoi-san did, and enthusiasm like Kise-kun to accomplish it, Tetsuya was never once stifled by him. Even his one-armed hugs reminded Tetsuya of Midorima-kun’s (awkward) kindness.

He differed in many ways too. Kagami-kun often yelled into his ears when they fell into an embrace, most of which were exclamations of good work and success. It wasn’t a surprise that they hugged the most after a game (it was the one of the only times at Teikou that Tetsuya ever experienced the others’ hugs in the first place) but Kagami also broke form in that regard. He rubbed his knuckles into the crown of Tetsuya’s hair after a good practice; never faltered when lifting him into an embrace as they mercifully passed another round of exams, spared from their senpais’ wrath. Sometimes Kagami-kun even pulled him into those bro-like hugs that were so prevalent in American jock culture.

When Tetsuya was safe in Kagami’s arms, he didn’t hesitate to bury his face in the other boy’s jersey.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Kuroko’s hugs were a gift. The pressure was always just right, the length always perfectly appropriate. Sometimes he lingered, though more often than not he let go when it was time. He had a tendency to press his face against whatever surface it landed on—a cheek against a chest, a nose into a shoulder—but no one ever told him to stop. It was simply part of the experience.

His arms curled around others the way old friends hugged in reunion, the way a parent cradled their child—impossible to miss the affection. Despite his strength (or, rather, lack thereof), he always held firm during an embrace. Everyone fell for Kuroko’s misdirection at one point, but his presence was undeniable once he gathered someone in his arms.

After parting, seeing the angelic smile on Kuroko’s face was always worth letting him go.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I wrote this for my thesis class and produced a chapbook of it as original fiction. When it's released, I'll update these notes~!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos give me life and comments will be handed a cookie<3
> 
> [NaNoWriMo profile](https://nanowrimo.org/participants/jercydee)  
> [Thesis Blog](https://jercythesiscrying2018.tumblr.com) / [Rebloggable version of this fic](http://jercythesiscrying.tumblr.com/post/182638175349/just-take-my-hand-and-lets-enjoy-kuroko-x)  
> [Main Blog](http://striveattemptfail.tumblr.com)


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